NEWS

Murat Öztürk - A Success Story

Seluz Fragrance company owes its success to an honest cooperation. Adding r&d power on these values in the competitive fragrance and cosmetics industry, ceo Murat Öztürk believes Turkish brands will increase their share of products in the short run.

It has been a decade since Seluz Fragrance Company began production in 2007. How did you develop as a fragrance company in ten years?

Although our quality understanding and business perfectionism haven’t changed since the first day, we are a company that constantly invests in technology and human resources. Our headquarters in Istanbul’s Silivri district has changed the dynamics of fragrance industry in Turkey and in the region, and this makes us very happy. We have six master perfumers working in our company and every one of them is known to be one of the best in the global scene. I find this very important in terms of creativity. In addition, at the end of 2016 we established a “Creative Center” in Zurich, Switzerland, to increase our efficiency in the European market and to support our creative perfume researches. In the past few years we opened two regional offices in Dubai and Tehran within the framework of our growth policies in the Middle East.

How do you personally feel about fragrances?

Although fragrance is my business, it is also my
passion. Since the number of fragrances we develop
in our company is quite high, I can actually
smell only some of them. However, in my daily
routine I definitely try to smell some of the fragrances
in the design process. In addition, being
able to keep track of the innovations in terms of
fragrances and raw materials in the world is very
important to me.

Which notes can be found in the fragrance
you mostly wear nowadays?

Nowadays I wear a perfume based on bergamot,
oakmoss, patchouli and a rich blend of woody
notes. Both heart and base notes have a peaceful
amber effect that I am very fond of. It is possible
to say that tonka bean, balsamic and leather accords
at the base, characterize the authenticity of
the fragrance.

If we are to talk about olfactory diversity, which is the first note that comes to mind?

It seems that the olfactory diversity of oud is increasing
in recent years. Especially the trends in
European market bring about modern and interesting
interpretations of oud.

What are the most successful fragrances
you produce?

At the moment our fragrance library has more
than 15 thousand fragrances. Our creative perfume
design and R&D teams develop around
1500 fragrances annually, some of which have
been used in the products of the most important
brands in Europe, Middle East and many
other markets. We find a fragrance successful as
long as it contributes in the success of our customer’s
product or the brand. In this sense it
won’t be wrong to say that we have thousands of
successful products that aromatize many perfumes,
cosmetics or home care products around
the world.

Did growing up in Germany as a Turk have an effect on you as a businessman?

I have internalized my roots and all the values
that represent my motherland, and I hold on to
them with my heart and soul. On the other
hand, the fact that I was raised in Germany and
started my business career in Europe gave me a
lot in terms of business culture and discipline. I
would like to add that, combining discipline
which is very significant in German business
culture with speed and agility which comes from
Turkish culture has paid off very well.

In what areas Seluz Fragrance Company
products are used?

We can list three basic areas where Seluz products
are used. The first one is fine fragrance, in
other words the perfume sector, which is also
the driving force of our business. The second basic
category is the personal care segment which
is made up of many subcategories including hair
care, skin care, baby products, wet wipes and so on. Finally there is the home care segment which
includes detergents, surface cleaners or air fresheners.
These are the main fields where our products
are used. However thanks to technological
improvements, new and innovative fields of use
are emerging ranging from textiles to chemistry.

How does working in the fragrance industry
change your perspective when you are
traveling?

Fragrance implies change and movement. There is
no room for immobility in the world of fragrance.
Discovering natural regional ingredients is very
important to me especially when I am traveling to
new places. Not only it gives me an idea about the
people living there and their culture, but also helps
me discover the plants and flowers that naturally
grow in that soil and climate. I am especially passionate
about spices and flowers and every new
discovery is an opportunity for me to realize how
infinite is the world we are working in.

You also have a perfume academy at Seluz
Fragrance Company. What kind of trainings
do you give there?

The training process at Seluz Perfume Academy
begins with teaching essential fragrance families
and raw materials. Then, perfumer trainees learn
the scents of various raw materials that come from
different fragrance families and begin to develop
simple formulas. After that, the training focuses
on more complex fragrances with different technical
specifications such as personal care and
home care products. The fact that our young colleagues
at our perfume academy are trained by
master perfumers who are by all means among the
best in the world is very important in developing
their technical skills and creativity.

At the moment you train only Seluz Fragrance
Company employees at your perfume
school. Do you plan to expand this
educational opportunity externally to those who want to become perfumers
in the future?

In fact all our trainees at Seluz Perfume Academy
want to become perfumers in the future
and this is why they are here, but this academy
is an in-house training establishment. Therefore,
our Human Resources Unit carefully evaluates
candidates from Seluz team and calls in
the suitable trainees to the program. Although
part of the evaluation process depends on certain
technical capabilities, having a passion for
fragrances and a potential for development are
the main criteria.

What is your most important value at
Seluz Fragrance Company?

Although very young, Seluz Fragrance Company
became one of the main actors in the region.
A great deal of our success comes from
our determination and perfectionism. Perfectionism,
while shaping our business processes, also defines our quality understanding which
has led us to develop one of the most precise
protocols of our industry in the world. I think
our honest attitude towards our customers and
business partners has an important role in forging
powerful collaborations.

How do you see Turkey’s position in the
fragrance and cosmetics market; do you
think we are in good shape?

I think it is possible to answer your question by
considering the branded products that the end
consumer buys. Turkey’s serious potential in
fragrance and cosmetics markets as well as in
many other areas has just begun to realize.
There are many perfume and cosmetics producers
in Turkey and when we compare our
brands with global brands, we see the quality
standards achieved in Turkey are higher in
terms of fragrance, packaging and many other
areas. Especially the increasing emphasis on design and innovation in recent years have contributed
a great deal in the success of our
brands. I believe Turkish brands will prove to be
even more successful and further increase their
share of high value added products in the next
five or 10 years.

When it comes to fragrances what is the
best marketing strategy?

Even though we adopt a B2B (business to business)
model, our marketing strategy is based on
understanding the preferences of the end consumer
as much as the needs of our customers. In
other words, in every project we place ourselves
into our customers’ shoes and follow a strategy
that will appeal to the market that their brand
targets. Our marketing team conducts in-depth
analyses of world trends and customer expectations
in every segment from perfumes to personal
care and home care, and develop creative
ideas for our customers based on these findings.